William Million on LinkedIn: Today marks five years at TGW (2024)

Army operational shooting competition, if you know who is going to win, is it really competition? Does such dominance drive marksmanship improvement, units have tried to match the standards of Gurkha teams, and have come close, which comes at a cost, and creates professional shooters rather than combat marksmen.whilst it drives a few individuals does it collectively raise the standard? If not how can it be improved so it does?

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How in the year 2024, are our United States Air Force Airmen still dealing with issues such as BAH start and stop, promotions being delayed, and enlistment contracts being bungled?My niece and her husband (who recently graduated #Pararescue school) just visited us. My wife (also a retired SNCO) and I of course, as Air Force veterans and retired #SNCOs, asked all the usual questions: How are things? Excited about your first duty station? Getting your orders cut? Have to extend to take the assignment? You get your promotion stuff sorted out?You see the last question, I’ve been helping him work on since I attended his #PJU graduation back in December and realized he wasn’t yet wearing SrA. I asked then, what gives? The answer then: Something messed up with my paperwork. My #MTL is helping get it rectified. Several weeks, if not more than a month go by, I followed up with my nephew, they get your rank sorted out, and still nothing. At which time I pulled out my calendar, got a copy of his contract and did the Air Force math on it to determine his dates of rank. He should’ve been promoted to SrA back in November 2023. I encouraged him to go sit down with the promotions office to get it figured out. The Airman there agreed that the old SNCO’s math checked out and his promotion is past due, yet they can’t get it processed in “the system”. One of the issues: #MEPS entered his contract in as a 6 year contract, yet his paperwork all says 4. I have additional questions on how this is possible.All of this matters, because on top of his 6 month struggle to get his BAH started when he got married and was attending training, he’s now going to miss his normal window to test for promotion. Which affects Airmen’s already very small bottom line when it comes to financials.#SpecialWarfare airmen in the pipeline are riddled with these BAH debacles, so much, that amongst themselves they’ve come to the conclusion that, “this is just how it is”, and that they’ll just get it sorted when they get to their first permanent duty location. This couldn’t be a further departure from what reality should look like.My nephew’s other uncle who at the time was a #FirstShirt was compelled to reach out to his (nephew) Shirt and ask WTF. I reached out to then CMSAF JoAnne (Jo) Bass for help on this particular issue. She rapidly requested more information, and promised to look into it during her upcoming trip to San Antonio.Our Airmen already don’t make very much money, and coupled with being forced to live off the economy for housing, can create a financial struggle for young people.Why is the system failing them? Where are the SNCOs who should be tackling these issues?I sure hope that Ramón “CZ” Colón-López didn’t have to deal with this when he was a young PJ making his way.Our Air Force needs to do better!#NeverReallyRetired #RealSNCOsNeverStopCaring #MPF #CMSAF #MilitaryPromotions #BAH

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Are values no longer important?As I ponder the topics that are “news” I truly wonder if Social Media has made us so self absorbed that we forget what Memorial Day actually means- the total commitment of one’s life to the values of freedom in our country. It is not about glamour and cool stuff, or having a day off or celebrating food but instead the option to do any one of those things. Because someone else, and usually the people we don’t know, gave it all for us. I am taken aback by how shallow we are today when we celebrate a meaningful holiday. No real moment of introspection no salute to sacrifice. The military is the one place you give up your freedom- you don’t select your duty station you just go. And for 2 or 4 or 6 or 10 years you give yourself for the values we take for granted. The values we disrespect so often.I expect the next phase of my career will be to spend a little more time sharing how valuable those values really and truly are.I hope you join me…

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I was about to celebrate Valentine’s Day alone in the middle of an ocean. On 14th Feb 2014, I found myself alone in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, serving as a naval officer trainee aboard a warship on an international mission. My duty on the bridge was routine yet crucial—marking the ship's position on the nautical chart and logging it meticulously. However, on that particular day, my thoughts were far from navigation and duty.Separated from my newfound girlfriend, I felt a pang of loneliness and frustration. Unable to speak to her, I found myself lost in thoughts of our shared moments. In a moment of distraction, while logging the details, I made an embarrassing mistake. Instead of filling in the details of the day as Monday/ Tuesday etc, I wrote “Valentine’s Day” on the Ship’s logbook. My senior, who was standing right beside me, burst out laughing. But I turned pink due to the awkward situation. It was then that my senior, recognising my internal struggle, approached me with understanding and compassion. Despite my error, he empathised with my situation and granted me a precious two minutes of satellite calling—a rare privilege for trainees—to reach out to my loved one.In that small act of kindness, I learned a profound lesson in leadership. True leaders don't just manage from above; they empathise and connect with those under their guidance. They recognise that personal struggles can impact professional performance and take steps to support their team members beyond their official duties.#ValentinesDayAtSea #LeadershipLessons #EmpathyInLeadership #CompassionateLeadership #ShipboardStories #ConnectionOverCompassion #HumourInUniform P.S- Satellite calling was super expensive in 2014.

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My time in the Marines instilled an extraordinary level of discipline, courage, and resilience, but that also posed unique challenges, especially in the realm of empathy and compassion as I made the transition to the civilian workforce. In a world where toughness is celebrated, I sometimes find it hard to express these qualities openly.Admitting this isn’t easy, but I believe in growth and self-improvement. Each day, I’m committed to becoming a more empathetic and compassionate individual, even as I grapple with my past experiences. It’s a daily effort, a constant reminder that humility, kindness, and understanding are essential traits, no matter where life has taken me.I share this not as a confession, but as an item of my own self-awareness and how I am trying to always evolve, both personally and professionally.#EmpathyMatters #Compassion #PersonalGrowth

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2004 was a different time in life when I went to college from high school. 2008-2009 was when normal in life died in my lifetime and life changed forever and not everyone understood things about the economy and Wall Street. 2009-2010 were different times in life when I tried to join the military. I wanted to somehow go back to military in 2011. 2012-2013 were lost years in life when nobody knew what really went on in life. 2014-2015 tried to go back to college to try to get back to normal in life. People weird in those times in life. 2016-2019 was normal life working in Burger King. 2020-2021 was when China and COVID changed life forever. 2022-2023 transitioning out of Burger King looking for better opportunities.

March is B Corps Month, when the global B Corps community joins together to celebrate being a B Corps and to raise awareness of the movement. We became a B Corps two years ago for two reasons: we're a good business and it's good business.Firstly, we think we're a good business - one which cares about more than *just* making money. We do obviously care about making a profit, but not at the expense of our people and/or the planet and it's important to have an external body validate that for us and anyone looking at us.Secondly, it makes commercial sense to be clearly accredited by a third party as the kind of company which has some kind of ethical North Star. Our view is that the people we want inside Sunny Side Up are the kind of people for whom how we behave matters, and that both clients and suppliers feel a bit better about working with us and recommending us because they know they can trust us to do the right thing.If you're considering becoming a B Corps, we'd love to talk to you about our experience.#BCorps #notbusinessasusual #BCorpsMonth2024 ☀️⬆️

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32 years in the industry

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🎉 Celebrating 5 Years of The Brand Factory!🎉 Today marks a significant milestone – five years ago, I stood at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and collected our Certificate of Incorporation. The sheer joy I felt that day was indescribable; I wanted to shout with jubilation. Back then, I set a personal challenge: surpass the disheartening statistics indicating that most Ugandan businesses don't survive beyond 2 years. Hitting the five-year mark seemed like an impossible dream. Yet here we are today, and it feels absolutely incredible!Admittedly, this past year has been exceptionally tough. Reflecting on how I've navigated through these challenges leaves me awestruck. Every month presented new trials, pushing me beyond my limits.The journey of entrepreneurship has been an unrelenting test of my endurance, revealing my vulnerabilities at every turn. However, amidst the shaking, anxiety, tears, and moments of vulnerability, it has reaffirmed one powerful truth: I can conquer it all. I've learned that even in moments of doubt or when reduced to crawling, I have the resilience to endure and succeed.Aside from the joys of motherhood, I am profoundly grateful for the continued operation and success of The Brand Factory. I cherish this venture—it's worth every ounce of effort, the countless sleepless nights, the early mornings, the relentless hustling, the tears shed, and even the occasional mental breakdowns (yes, they happen!).Cheers to reaching this significant five-year milestone! Here's to celebrating the journey of building greatness, one step at a time.With heartfelt gratitude, Keren OkuvuruFounder, The Brand Factory Uganda#TheBrandFactory #FiveYearsAnniversary #EntrepreneurshipJourney #BuildingGreatness #MilestoneCelebration #Gratitude

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"What am I now?"Terry Crews got cut from an NFL team and ended up humbly sweeping floors and washing Ice Cube's car before he changed his perspective and found his purpose after the game. During this clip Terry speaks out about the depression he faced while transitioning away from the game of football and it's similarities to transitioning from the military."When you quit football it's almost like the military" According to statistics from the NCAA, only 1.6%(262) of the 16,380 draft eligible college football players will turn pro and have an opportunity to compete for one of only 1,696 jobs. Of those fortunate 1,696, on average their NFL careers will only last 3.3 years. According to statistics from the Army, approximately 30% of officers, and 10% of enlisted soldiers retire from the Army. What do these set of statistics have in common?📢 Lots of young adults TRANSITIONING‼️No matter if you play football or serve our country, know that you won't do either of them forever, and that you don't have to be defined by them forever. Because of our level of dedication and how we identify with these lifestyles, transitioning from them can be difficult at times, but still very possible. Be encouraged and know that 🫵🏾You 🫵🏾 can do it! Don't be afraid to turn the page in your life, you might just be a few pages away from the best chapter yet!#transition#transitioning#transitioningmilitary #transitioningservicemembers #transitioningveterans #lifeafterfootball#collegefootball#nflfootball

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